ALTHOUGH the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition have been many times edited and reedited since their first publication, little has been written heretofore upon the personnel of the group which carried the American flag into the wilderness of the Northwest in the first decade of the last century. Charles Wilson, self-styled "recreational student of farming and frontier history" of Arkansas, has fortunately taken upon himself the task of writing a biography of Meriwether Lewis, leader of the band of discovery.

The book is written in the pleasant, diverting style of modern history, which makes it enjoyable reading, giving the romantic fascinating description of uncivilized America. Although it is not scholarly to the extent of a half page of footnotes for each page to text, one is not given the feeling that it is an inaccurate popularization. Mr. Wilson has obviously made copious use of the original sources and from them he has achieved an excellent picture of his subject. Although one gets a bit tired of hearing the hero referred to as "The Virginian" or Merne, and Thomas Jefferson as the "Sage of Albermarle" the writing is of the calibre which holds the reader's interest and makes the pages turn easily. Occasionally the style becomes a trifle plain and slow, but undoubtedly this will give place to a more easy flow as further books take their place in the high rank to which this may be accorded.

The major episode in the life is, of course, the trip up the Missouri River and down the Columbia, and this is drawn from the traveller's own account, so its accuracy cannot be questioned. A good bit of attention is paid to Lewis' friend Clark who seems to have taken more data than the leader himself and at times one begins to wonder if the second in command really did not outshine the chief.

That the book is a good life of this explorer no one will doubt, and it deserves a prominent place in the list of today's biographies. Perhaps, however, it could be accorded even greater rewards if the writing were of the higher standard of which the author seems capable.